The “bread and butter” model of Smokercraft’s popular five-boat, Pro Angler aluminum line, according company spokesman Steve Huber, the 172 was designed from the keel(s) up for freshwater anglers who face rough conditions both above and below the water and require a boat designed to be rigged for the type of fishing they enjoy.

Key Features

Hydra-lift rolled V-hull

Navigation lights

25 gallon bow livewell

6' port rod storage

Rod storage

6" cleats(qty: 4)

Trolling motor plug

5 year carpet warranty

Curved walk thru windshield

Treated floor with lifetime warranty

Vinyl floor covering

Specifications

Smoker Craft Pro Angler 172 (2012-) Specifications

Length Overall

16' 8'' 5.08 m

Dry Weight

1,225 lbs. 555.6 kg

Beam

92'' 2.34 m

Tested Weight

N/A

Draft

N/A

Fuel Cap

24 gal. 90.1 L

Deadrise/Transom

N/A

Water Cap

none

Max Headroom

open

Bridge Clearance

N/A

Prices, features, designs, and equipment are subject to change. Please see your local dealer or visit the builder's website for the latest information available on this boat model.

Engine Options

Smoker Craft Pro Angler 172 (2012-) Captain's Report

Captain's Report by Capt. Dan Armitage --

The twin-console 17-footer can be ordered with a variety of seating positions.

Layout

Carrying a beam of 92 inches, the 172 is broad enough for its 16’ 8” length to offer good stability and deck space. The standard package comes with three pedestal seats and six mounting positions in which to place them. A fourth seat is offered as an option – as is snap-in carpeting for the cockpit sole and a good selection of canvas options for protection from the elements.

The transom cutout accommodates short-shaft outboards yet partially blocks following waves and chop from breaching the boat when back-trolling.

Both the forward and passenger cockpits are surrounded by an extra-wide gunwale that is reinforced with back-plating to provide sturdy mounting positions for angling accessories such as downriggers and multi-stick rod holders.

I like the padded, reinforced lids Smokercraft uses over livewells.

Fishing Features

Anglers will appreciate the 25-gallon Flow Rite livewell system that draws water in and circulates it in the bottom of the tank while a hole in the top allows air to mix with the water. A separate recirculating pump works in a continuous loop to keep aerated water moving at all times, and a transom drain system provides for easy tank cleaning. Since many of the northern anglers this boat targets use live bait, I’d like to see a baitwell option – at least a combo livewell that includes a bucket for minnows or leeches.

Lockable storage for rods measuring up to six feet long is found in the port-side wall. That capacity will fall short for some anglers, many of whom use rods measuring eight feet and longer. But remember, this is a 17' boat.

The standard Pro Angler is a no-frills fishing boat, with an easy-to-clean vinyl sole and simple vinyl snap-in curtains to cover the storage areas under the aft casting deck. The boat offers amenities that only anglers are likely to appreciate, including toe rails on each side of the cockpit for a firm foothold when fighting and landing fish to flush-mounted cleats that pop-up only when needed to secure dock lines rather than fishing lines.

The Pro Angler 172 features a single-plate .125” thick aluminum hull. The athwartships hat-section ribs are closely spaces for added strength and rigidity.

Construction

The hull of the 172 is backed by what Smokercraft refers to as AIRS (Advanced Integrated Rib System) that features hand-formed, hat-shaped ribs on 10-inch centers to provide strength and rigidity. All the hull seams are double-riveted. The deck is built of marine-grade XL plywood that is specially treated to resist rot and warping and carries a lifetime warranty.

Smokercraft’s reverse-chine “Hydra-Lift” hull design. Not only does this design give lift to the hull to possibly make it faster, but it also definitely adds greatly to stability.

In previous tests I’ve done on Smokercraft fishing models, the boats’ hulls are among the best among aluminum small craft for turning aside water and offering as dry a ride as possible in rough conditions. The boats also track extremely well, both at planing speeds and while trolling, thanks to multiple keels that are riveted onto Smokercraft’s hulls. I

In the case of the Pro Angler 172, that hull is the popular Hydra-Lift design and features five keels – which also help protect the hull against underwater obstacles, while trailering and when beaching the boat on rocky shorelines.

A high freeboard and a wrap-around windshield large enough to duck behind are comforting features for anglers aboard Smokercraft's Pro Angler 172.

Recommendation:

For recreational freshwater fishermen who want a rig built to withstand the rigors of chasing bass, pike, muskie and walleye across much of North America, since its introduction in 2004, the 172 has proven to be a good choice. The boat is built to withstand rough roads, rocky launch ramps, and bumpy water without offering the frills that send the price of comparable fishing boats beyond many weekend warriors’ means.

Like all Smokercraft fishing models, the boat is “DIY friendly,” designed with features like back-plating to accept optional accessories as you can afford -- or find you need – them. Of course, you can consider the options such as trolling motors and fish finders offered by Smokercraft to add them to the base package when you buy it.

With a base price of $21,399 matched with a Mercury 90 ELPT Optimax and custom trailer, the Pro Angler package represents a fair deal for fishermen who want a time-proven hull from a time-proven boat manufacturer of practical fishing boats.

Standard and Optional Equipment

Smoker Craft Pro Angler 172 (2012-) Standard and Optional Equipment

Marine Electronics

Fishfinder

Systems

Battery Charger/Converter

CD Stereo

Exterior Features

Carpet: Cockpit

Swim Platform

Canvas

Cockpit Cover

Full Canvas

= Standard = Optional

Smoker Craft Pro Angler 172 (2012-) Warranty

Smoker Craft Pro Angler 172 (2012-) Warranty Information

Warranties change from time to time. While BoatTEST.com has tried to ensure the most up-to-date warranty offered by each builder, it does not guarantee the accuracies of the information presented below. Please check with the boat builder or your local dealer before you buy any boat.

Full Warranty Information on this brand coming soon!

Smoker Craft Pro Angler 172 (2012-) Price

Smoker Craft Pro Angler 172 (2012-) Price

Pricing Range

$21,399.00

Prices, features, designs, and equipment are subject to change. Please see your local dealer or visit the builder's website for the latest information available on this boat model.